The prior art is replete with numerous examples of semiconductor wafer handling equipment, and semiconductor processing chambers for processing semiconductor work pieces. The Office's attention is directed to the following prior art patents and published applications, the teachings of which are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,133,284; 5,655,060; 5,855,681; 6,143,082; 6,319,553, 6,578,891; 6,760,976; 6,860,965; and 2001/0010950; 2002/0033136; 2004/0001750; 2005/0120578; and 2005/0113976. Additionally, the applicant of the present application directs the Offices' attention to pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/351,786, and which was filed on Feb. 9, 2006. The teachings of this reference are also incorporated herein.
In the manufacturing of semiconductor work pieces, two forms of semiconductor processing systems are commonly employed. A first type of processing system that is commonly used in the semiconductor industry is the batch processing system which can process multiple semiconductor work pieces substantially simultaneously. The other type of semiconductor processing system that is used in the industry is a single piece processing device. In the semiconductor batch processing systems which are in common use, semiconductor work pieces are placed in either a horizontal or vertical orientation and are thereafter processed at the same time within a processing chamber.
In as much as numerous semiconductor work pieces are processed substantially simultaneously, the space or clearance between the semiconductor work pieces is typically quite limited. Therefore, these batch processing systems typically use low gas pressures in order to minimize, or substantially eliminate any gas pressure gradients which may occur within the processing chamber. As a general matter, if the clearance between semiconductor work pieces is larger than one fourth of their respective thickness, the internal gas pressure of the processing chamber should typically be less than about 500 milliTorr. With this gas pressure, the typical deposition rate on semiconductor work pieces is typically less than about 100 Angstroms per minute. This deposition rate typically means that longer processing times are required for batch processing systems.
It is well known that single semiconductor work piece processing systems have many advantages relative to providing substantially uniform products. However, significant shortcomings have detracted from the usefulness of such devices. Among the chief shortcomings of such devices have been problems associated with heat, slow processing speeds, low throughput, and relatively high overhead production costs.
To address the difficulties associated with the prior art batch processing systems, many approaches have been undertaken. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,681, a batch processing system is shown and described and wherein the batch processing system includes a processing chamber having a plurality of processing stations. The processing chamber, therefore, can process multiple work pieces without further consideration of the problems associated with the positioning or spacing of the work pieces one from the other, which has heretofore limited the usefulness of batch processing systems. While this approach has had some success in addressing the problems associated with the throughput and quality of the semiconductor work pieces which are fabricated, it still cannot effectively process large numbers of work pieces substantially simultaneously.
Additionally, it should be recognized that one of the major problems affecting the quality of the resulting semiconductor work pieces is that the previous prior art devices do not provide uniform processing conditions at the respective processing stations within a processing chamber. It should be understood that uniformity of processing conditions across a plurality of processing stations is mainly influenced by two components, that being, the reaction gas provided to the processing chamber, and the temperature maintained within the processing chamber. In the prior art arrangements where the individual processing stations of a processing chamber are essentially isolated from each other, maintaining the uniformity of temperature between the several processing stations may be quite difficult. However, if the respective processing stations are not isolated from each other, the reaction gases from the several processing stations can potentially interfere with each other thereby creating non-uniform gaseous processing conditions among the several processing stations. Notwithstanding the developments in the prior art, the currently available processing chambers having multiple processing stations still cannot uniformly process large numbers of semiconductor work pieces substantially simultaneously.
Another approach which has been taken to solve the problems associated with increasing the output and quality of semiconductor work pieces produced by a batch processing system is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,965. While this processing system has many benefits, the loading system for same is complicated, and the speed of loading semiconductor work pieces for processing is considered quite slow. Therefore, the throughput of this device is still not commercially acceptable.
Therefore, there has been a long felt need in the industry to provide a semiconductor processing system, semiconductor processing chamber, and related methodology which can provide rapid loading and unloading of semiconductor work pieces, as well as improve the processing efficiency for semiconductor work pieces. In addition to the other shortcomings noted above, the remaining prior art batch processing devices have a common problem which relates to their complicated mechanical structures and the maintenance necessary to keep such structures operational. Still further, the cost of purchasing and, thereafter, operating such devices are rather significant when viewed from the aspect of the reduced product throughput.
A semiconductor processing system chamber and a method of loading, unloading, and exchanging semiconductor work pieces from a semiconductor processing system is the subject matter of the present application.